| 71 T T Richard Loader Firm expands nationwide in 25 years While the Crown portfolio work is provided nationwide through APL’s four regional offices, each office has its own emphasis in specific areas. APL Property PROPERTY Proudly supporting APL Property APL Property provides a comprehensive range of professional property-related services specifically designed to meet the needs of Government entities, local Government/territorial authorities, commercial organisations and private property owners. The company is led by founding Managing Director Luke Van Velthooven, and fellow directors Joanne McCracken, Daniel Cruickshank and Jeff Reidy. From its early beginnings as a three-person team in Blenheim twenty-five years ago, the business has evolved to provide nationwide coverage, with a team of forty spread over regional offices in Blenheim, Queenstown, Rotorua and Wellington. “APL was originally established for the purposes of tendering for property portfolio management contracts, specialising in central and local government along with commercial property,” says Luke. “While we have diversified our services, property portfolio management remains the core of what we do.” APL is one of only a few LINZ Accredited suppliers to the Crown, providing advisory services for the acquisition and disposal of property, but its clients span central and local Government authorities, the corporate sector, and iwi, as well as private-sector owners such as property developers, farmers, and high-networth families and individuals. “Our project development/management arm does significant amount of civic project management, where we represent the client. That has become a key part of the business. We’re currently the client-side project manager for the development of Marlborough’s new art gallery and public library. In that role we help establish the process and structure of the whole project from the investigation into title and zoning limitations, to appointing the design team, to appointing the construction team and monitoring the project through to completion, fit-out and hand over.” APL has also amassed a very significant Body Corporate portfolio in Wellington, Queenstown and Rotorua, managing about 4000 Unit Titles, with professional services ensuring the Body Corporate fulfils all the regulatory and financial compliance requirements under the Unit Titles Act, Unit Title regulation, or relevant shared ownership governance requirements. While the Crown portfolio work is provided nationwide through APL’s four regional offices, each office has its own emphasis in specific areas, with Queenstown leading a team offer- “The beauty of APL Property is that we work in the Crown sector which is quite restricted and very proscribed under legislation.” ing property valuation services throughout the Queenstown Lakes, Central Otago and Taupō. Luke says APL’s mantra has always been integrity, relationships and innovation. “We focus on innovation and rely on being a front runner in the property sector in terms of being very up to date with the market and legislative requirements. “The beauty of APL Property is that we work in the Crown sector which is quite restricted and very proscribed under legislation, but we can bring commercial expertise because we’re dealing with the commercial private sector at the same time. “So, the cross pollination of those two skillsets positions us quite uniquely.” Maintaining high standards of professionalism and forward thinking have also positioned the business well, and when the Covid pandemic hit, APL already had a pandemic contingency plan ready to roll out, ensuring client services were maintained. “There is also a lot of knowledge and expertise in the property sector that just comes from experience. “We have very good people many of whom are tertiary trained professionals, and there is also a very strong support team. “A key part of the passion for the business is delivering that professional integrity and business acumen into the public sector, and public projects, like the Marlborough Art Gallery and Library. “It’s the structure and development of advice that is so fundamental to delivering the value for money and good outcomes. “There is no reason that there should not be a good outcome to a portfolio or a civic project from a portfolio or project management perspective. It’s about bringing that professional expertise and acumen into the public sector.”
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NDc2Mzg=